Yani51

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

Went to Xanthi for lunch on Sunday. We had the banquet and were pleased overall with food and service. Best dish was the haloumi with figs. Worst was the octopus which was simply not up to Greek standards.

One other thing, we tried to book this restaurant by phone a couple of days ago and again on the following day. We made over 8 phone calls and all were un-answered, ringing to a fax tone. So I suggest you don't bother to call and just show up. If they are not answering their phone then booking are likely to be low and the chance of an impromptu seat are good.

May 27, 2012

5.8 Average

Food  3      Ambience  7      Service  10      Value  3     

We went to the Glass Brasserie because we were given a gift voucher by friends who have enjoyed this restaurant. On entry we noticed 3 aspects mentioned by other reviewers. It was rather dim, noisy and the tables on the periphery of the dining area were placed too close together with about 500mm separation. The spacing meant that when a waiter was serving a neighbouring table their bum was almost in our face. Worse, if they had a napkin hanging out of their rear pocket it would brush over the edge of our table as they moved about.

The service was polite and worthy of a hatted restaurant. However, we cannot say the same for the food. My wife did not enjoy the flavours of her zucchini flower tempura which was more zucchini than flower. My ‘slow cooked’ octopus proved, once again, my belief that only restaurants with a Balkan or Greek background can do it well. This octopus was too soft along the top of the tentacle and too tough along the sucker side of the tentacle (how does that happen?)

My wife had the barramundi for a main. The fish was very nice and cooked properly. However, the ‘squid ink' linguini did not taste of squid ink and she did not like the taste of this dish overall. I had the Quail which had some sort of pate under the skin and was the worst quail I have ever had. It came with a smoked corn which tasted of non-organic smoke (let alone woood) and I couldn’t eat it at all.

Maybe we struck it on a bad night or ordered the wrong dishes. However, we feel that, despite the grandeur and good service, overall it is difficult to understand how Glass Brassier has attained hatted status on this experience.

May 13, 2012

5.8 Average

Food  4      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  5     

We ate here just over 2 years ago and it was great. We ate here last night and were disappointed. Our group of 4 shared starters and mains. The satay chicken was nice as was the mango prawn dish. Ice cream dessert was nice too. Unfortunately the rest of the dishes were ordinary, at best, and a couple were just plain awful. Service was very good. Atmosphere was loud buzzy. Prices were on the high side for Thai.

Apr 29, 2012

6.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  4      Service  8      Value  7     

Our first time at this restaurant, suggested by our friends who have just moved into Bronte.

For starters, the mussels were very nice and Vegetarian Hors d' oeuvres was delicious except for the falafel accompaniment which was dry and tasteless.
For our mains, the Atlantic salmon was nice but my wife blames herself for ordering something she can, and does, cook at home. Her opinion was "nice but nothing special". My Duck Linguini was excellent. The duck meat had been de-boned and skinless.

We shared a sorbet for dessert which was quite good and had a taste of our friend’s ice cream (a side to her brulee) was terrific. Their wine list starts around $40.

There were 3 disappointments on the night, the poor falafel, the very, very noisy atmosphere and the corkage at $4.50 p.p. - seriously! $18 for 4 to share one bottle of wine? It’s a rort that, unfortunately, is becoming more common and something we, as light to moderate drinkers, often check before booking a restaurant.

However, Wet Paint's meals and service were very good and the average cost for our group of 5 was $60 p.p. which was about on par for value.

Mar 19, 2012

4.3 Below Average

Quality  4      Food  4      Drinks  3      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  2     

Wildfire accommodated 6 of us for "cake and coffee" after a harbour cruise last night. Seating, table service and ambience were fine.

Unfortunately, the quality was below non-cheap eat restaurant standard. All of the coffees and mocha's were barely luke warm. We sent only one of the drinks back for re-heating but it was returned to us at the same low temperature.

For dessert we ordered 4 petit fours. The quality was below restaurant standard and certainly can’t equal what’s’ available from a suburban patisserie. Three of the desserts came out on one small plate with a splinter of what we thought was chocolate but were told later that it was “ganache”. After one of us consumed that tiny splinter of ‘ganache’, with a couple of licks, we asked when would the 4th dessert be brought out only to find out that that was the 4th dessert.

We complained to the head waitress about our experience, including the cold coffee, but despite some expression of regret nothing was done to alleviate or compensate (a lousy $3.50 would have done it) our poor experience.

Better value elsewhere.

Mar 04, 2012

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

Went to Xanthi for lunch on Sunday. We had the banquet and were pleased overall with food and service. Best dish was the haloumi with figs. Worst was the octopus which was simply not up to Greek standards.

One other thing, we tried to book this restaurant by phone a couple of days ago and again on the following day. We made over 8 phone calls and all were un-answered, ringing to a fax tone. So I suggest you don't bother to call and just show up. If they are not answering their phone then booking are likely to be low and the chance of an impromptu seat are good.

May 27, 2012

5.8 Average

Food  3      Ambience  7      Service  10      Value  3     

We went to the Glass Brasserie because we were given a gift voucher by friends who have enjoyed this restaurant. On entry we noticed 3 aspects mentioned by other reviewers. It was rather dim, noisy and the tables on the periphery of the dining area were placed too close together with about 500mm separation. The spacing meant that when a waiter was serving a neighbouring table their bum was almost in our face. Worse, if they had a napkin hanging out of their rear pocket it would brush over the edge of our table as they moved about.

The service was polite and worthy of a hatted restaurant. However, we cannot say the same for the food. My wife did not enjoy the flavours of her zucchini flower tempura which was more zucchini than flower. My ‘slow cooked’ octopus proved, once again, my belief that only restaurants with a Balkan or Greek background can do it well. This octopus was too soft along the top of the tentacle and too tough along the sucker side of the tentacle (how does that happen?)

My wife had the barramundi for a main. The fish was very nice and cooked properly. However, the ‘squid ink' linguini did not taste of squid ink and she did not like the taste of this dish overall. I had the Quail which had some sort of pate under the skin and was the worst quail I have ever had. It came with a smoked corn which tasted of non-organic smoke (let alone woood) and I couldn’t eat it at all.

Maybe we struck it on a bad night or ordered the wrong dishes. However, we feel that, despite the grandeur and good service, overall it is difficult to understand how Glass Brassier has attained hatted status on this experience.

May 13, 2012

5.8 Average

Food  4      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  5     

We ate here just over 2 years ago and it was great. We ate here last night and were disappointed. Our group of 4 shared starters and mains. The satay chicken was nice as was the mango prawn dish. Ice cream dessert was nice too. Unfortunately the rest of the dishes were ordinary, at best, and a couple were just plain awful. Service was very good. Atmosphere was loud buzzy. Prices were on the high side for Thai.

Apr 29, 2012

6.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  4      Service  8      Value  7     

Our first time at this restaurant, suggested by our friends who have just moved into Bronte.

For starters, the mussels were very nice and Vegetarian Hors d' oeuvres was delicious except for the falafel accompaniment which was dry and tasteless.
For our mains, the Atlantic salmon was nice but my wife blames herself for ordering something she can, and does, cook at home. Her opinion was "nice but nothing special". My Duck Linguini was excellent. The duck meat had been de-boned and skinless.

We shared a sorbet for dessert which was quite good and had a taste of our friend’s ice cream (a side to her brulee) was terrific. Their wine list starts around $40.

There were 3 disappointments on the night, the poor falafel, the very, very noisy atmosphere and the corkage at $4.50 p.p. - seriously! $18 for 4 to share one bottle of wine? It’s a rort that, unfortunately, is becoming more common and something we, as light to moderate drinkers, often check before booking a restaurant.

However, Wet Paint's meals and service were very good and the average cost for our group of 5 was $60 p.p. which was about on par for value.

Mar 19, 2012

4.3 Below Average

Quality  4      Food  4      Drinks  3      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  2     

Wildfire accommodated 6 of us for "cake and coffee" after a harbour cruise last night. Seating, table service and ambience were fine.

Unfortunately, the quality was below non-cheap eat restaurant standard. All of the coffees and mocha's were barely luke warm. We sent only one of the drinks back for re-heating but it was returned to us at the same low temperature.

For dessert we ordered 4 petit fours. The quality was below restaurant standard and certainly can’t equal what’s’ available from a suburban patisserie. Three of the desserts came out on one small plate with a splinter of what we thought was chocolate but were told later that it was “ganache”. After one of us consumed that tiny splinter of ‘ganache’, with a couple of licks, we asked when would the 4th dessert be brought out only to find out that that was the 4th dessert.

We complained to the head waitress about our experience, including the cold coffee, but despite some expression of regret nothing was done to alleviate or compensate (a lousy $3.50 would have done it) our poor experience.

Better value elsewhere.

Mar 04, 2012

4 Below Average

Food  7      Ambience  4      Service  2      Value  3     

Wife’s Hot chocolate was very nice but overpriced at $7.20. My Iced chocolate was also nice but cost an even more ridiculous $9.50. Why such a big price difference? Our friends cappuccino’s were average but still cost $4.50. Petite squares of chocolate were $1.75 each and not as nice as their main opposition a bit further up Darling Harbour. Chocolate éclairs were $6.50. Either their rent is killing them or they are making a killing themselves.

I wouldn't have minded so much about the bill except for the very poor experience of trying to pay the bill. I had thought it would be quicker if I took the money to the counter to pay. However, I was told by two staff that I needed to line up behind the line of new patrons (about 6 deep) who had not yet ordered.

So I went back to our table and gave the money and the bill to the waitress to process instead. This made no difference as she simply left my money with the same staff that were serving the line of new patrons. My payment was not processed until they had cleared the line up of new patrons, nearly 10 minutes later.

In my opinion, this was a display of very disappointing management procedure and not a consequence of lousy staff. Unfortunately, due to this experience and overpriced products, I can’t recommend and won’t be back.

Feb 26, 2012

5.3 Average

Food  4      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  4     

Went there last Saturday evening. Service was slow to start but improved once our orders were taken. We started with a miso soup each which we thought was 'ok' only. Then we shared a sukiyaki which tasted 'funny' and well below average. I ordered a tempura to try and over ride of the taste of the sukiyaki but it was only 'ok' as well.

It is easy to find better food and better value almost anywhere in Sydney than this place and therefore I cannot recommend this restaurant.

Jan 29, 2012

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

I drink coffee on rare occasions only. As soon as I walked into this place and felt the atmosphere I knew this was a place to have a cappuccino It did not disappoint. I recommend this place for cake and coffee only because I didn't have a meal.

Jan 25, 2012

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  8     

My wife and I had our annual anniversary dinner at Selah last night. Entrée, mains and dessert were all flawless and delicious. The atmosphere was rather buzzy for a romantic dinner but we appreciated staff for seating us in as quiet a location as possible as we had requested on booking.

Service was unpretentious and spot on. It may have been a bit too quick for a romantic evening but next time I want to dine before making it to a show at the Opera House or Dendy, this is where I'll be coming. I don't tip but on this occasion I felt compelled to.

We paid around $95 pp for 3 courses including bread, 2 glasses of wine, 1 dessert wine and coffee. Considering that everything we ate was delicious we felt this was good value. As a side note, for once I took the time to observe staff at work in an exposed kitchen.

In Selah the 3 chefs and kitchen hand were something to admire as a picture of quite professionalism and efficiency, something you don’t see too often outside of a hospital operating theatre. But maybe they are all like that and I just haven’t noticed before. I'll see.

Jan 05, 2012

6.5 Recommended

Food  5      Ambience  5      Service  8      Value  8     

Had dinner on Thu evening. The place is starting to look a little run down but still ahead of many other Asian restaurants in Kingsford. Shared an entree of chicken satay which came out burnt on one side. The waitress immediately, and without question, took it back to the kitchen for correction. Wife had prawn pad Thai and I had red beef curry. Food quality was Ok only and reasonably priced.

Dec 30, 2011